Electrial Workers Oust Some Top Union Officials

A federal probe into the powerful Chicago-area electrical workers` union is expected to intensify after the ouster this weekend of several top leaders accused of corruption in a bitter election fight.

As expected, Timothy Bresnahan, business manager and chief officer of Local 134 International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, was re-elected to a three-year term, but several allies were dumped by the rank and file, according to results disclosed Sunday.

Edward Pierce, who led a movement to root out the alleged corruption, handily won re-election as president over Bresnahan`s hand-picked challenger, Leo Carr Jr., by a vote of 3,968-1,750.

Among those dumped was Charles Dunne, who lost to Chicago Ald. Thomas Cullerton (38th) in the race for vice president.

Cullerton, whose family members were charter members of the union, entered the race after the union leadership refused to pursue pleas for an internal probe of alleged irregularities.

Ryan has been accused of raising $10,000 for ``political purposes`` by paying some 20 business agents $200 a month over five months with the stipulation that $100 be kicked back in cash. The expenditures never were accounted for by the union.

Dunne and Ryan, appointed by Bresnahan, were accused of trying to usurp Bresnahan`s authority during the last two years, when Bresnahan was sidelined by heart problems.

Bresnahan was not caught in the rank-and-file backlash and with no opposition from the reform faction he easily defeated John ``Jake`` Dowling, leader of a small dissident group, 4,699-1,159.

The reform group also seized a majority on the union executive board with the election of Joseph Duffy, Michael Bartels and the re-election of Edward Buettner, Ralph Burnett and Wilfred Diesel.